"Stop messing around. I really don't want my wedding to turn into some media circus."
Laila deliberately emphasized the word "my", hoping Anthony would understand that a wedding was about two people and two families—not some entertainment spectacle for the world to consume.
Laila wasn't blind to the fact that many people loved extravagant ceremonies—wishing the whole world would witness their joy. But she wasn't like that. She was quiet by nature, and the idea of accepting media interviews? No, thank you.
Anthony actually understood where she was coming from—but that didn't mean he agreed.
"Laila," he said, "if you weren't a Moran, then whether you threw a huge wedding or didn't have one at all, I wouldn't say a word. But you are the heir of the Moran family. You don't just represent yourself—you carry the face of the entire Moran legacy. The moment you were born into this family, the chance to live like an ordinary person was taken from you. Haven't you ever thought about that?"
Laila was stumped. Of course, she had thought about the responsibilities and sacrifices that came with being part of the Moran family. She just hadn't counted her wedding as one of them.
It wasn't that she didn't care about the wedding—on the contrary, she cared too much, which is why she was so particular about how it was handled.
"I asked Grandpa," she said after a pause. "He said I could do it however I wanted."
Anthony gave her a look that was somewhere between amused and exasperated. "Boss, come on. You know full well that if you said the Earth was flat, Mr. Oswald would agree with you without a second thought."
Having worked with the old man for so many years, Anthony knew better than anyone how deeply Oswald adored his granddaughter.
To Anthony, it had already gone beyond affection—it was straight-up spoiling. The fact that Laila hadn't grown up to be an insufferable brat was, frankly, a minor miracle. Put a less grounded person in her shoes, and they'd have turned into a complete disaster.
Laila couldn't argue. She knew he was right. Oswald's love for her was obvious to anyone with eyes. Just look at what happened when she got into trouble in South Africa—he'd even changed political allegiances just to get her out.
"…Go back for now," she sighed. "I need time to think about it."
Seeing her finally give in a little, Anthony didn't push further. He nodded and left obediently—but to prove that he wasn't giving up, he left behind all the bags he'd brought: changes of clothes, toiletries, and more, all sitting on the office couch.
So when Roy came to pick Laila up later, the first thing he saw upon entering her office… were those bags.
"What's this?" he asked, walking over and curiously poking through them.
"Don't look. They're from Anthony," Laila said, rubbing her temples in frustration. "Honestly, I'm embarrassed just talking about it. Who the hell raised such a weirdo?"
"Anthony?" Roy raised an eyebrow. "The guy you've been trying to recruit forever?"
"Don't even mention his name," Laila groaned, covering her face.
Roy chuckled and gently pulled her hand away, tugging her out from behind her desk. "Alright, tell me on the way home—what kind of nonsense is going on now?"
As she pulled on her coat and walked out with him, Laila said helplessly, "You have no idea. He came in today and absolutely refused to leave unless I agreed to an interview."
"About the wedding?"
Bingo. Roy guessed it immediately—what else would it be?
"Yeah. He says that since I'm the boss, I should leave the money-making opportunities for our own media group," she said, tugging at the corner of her mouth. "He even said if I didn't agree, he'd just move into my office. All that stuff on the couch? That's his."
Roy burst out laughing.
"This guy's got some nerve. So what made him finally leave?"
"I told him I'd think about it," Laila said with a dramatic eye-roll. "Don't let his shamelessness fool you—he's very good at reading people. He knew that if he kept pushing, I wouldn't even consider it. So he backed off."
Roy nodded, amused. "Now I get why you've been trying so hard to recruit him. From the sound of it, he's quite the rare talent."
Someone who could accurately read people's moods—that was rare indeed. Human interaction was complex, and knowing how to walk the fine line between persistence and pushiness was one of life's greatest challenges.
Take a simple example:
The word "hate."
Say it with a sneer, and it repels people.
Say it with a playful smile, and it's endearing.
Anthony had excellent work efficiency—that was the first reason Laila had tried to poach him. But the more they interacted, the more she realized that his high efficiency came from his emotional intelligence. He knew what to say and when to say it. He also knew exactly how far to go without making someone uncomfortable.
To Laila, that was an incredible skill—and it solidified her desire to recruit him.
Unfortunately, Anthony was too loyal to her grandfather. No matter what tactic she tried, she couldn't convince him.
But deep down, Laila believed he had made the right choice.
If Oswald were the emperor, and she the crown prince, then recruiting someone like Anthony—someone the emperor trusted deeply—into her own camp might seem suspicious. Yes, the crown prince was next in line, but for now, the emperor still ruled. If the prince started pulling all the key people to his side too early, it might look like he was preparing for a coup.
On the other hand, if the prince didn't recruit them and allowed the ministers to remain loyal to the emperor, it would earn more trust on both sides. The emperor would see the prince's restraint, and the prince would still be able to use those ministers effectively once he took the throne.
Of course, that was just an analogy. Oswald wasn't a literal emperor, and he wouldn't be upset if Laila poached a few useful people.
But still, knowing Anthony made this decision deliberately? Oswald might say he didn't care, but there'd be some part of him that felt a little sour.
And for people in positions of power, loyalty was one of the most valued traits.
Laila was no different. As long as Anthony did his job well, her impression of him would only get better.
That's why both Laila and Roy agreed—this man had made a very smart and calculated choice.
Sitting in the car, Laila watched the city lights flash by the window, her expression utterly resigned.
"Don't mention his name again. If he shows up in my office tomorrow, I wouldn't be surprised at all."
"Then just accept the interview," Roy said with a shrug. "It's Moran Group media anyway. If there are questions you don't want to answer, they're not going to force you."
"I really do think a wedding should be between two people."
…And really, two families, she thought silently—but stopped herself from saying the last part out loud.
After all, when she thought about Roy's family, it wasn't exactly a topic she was ready to unpack.